We Just Want To Stay in Love
by obasan45
Summary: Koyu/Shuei. Yaoi, barely. Quirky. Alternate title: What's Wrong With the Producers? Written in response to LJ Saiun Challenge prompt "Provocative".


**Title : We Just Want to Stay in Love**

**Alternate Title :** **What's Wrong with the Producers?**

**Disclaimer : I don't own Saiunkoku Monogatari. It belongs to Sai Yukino.**

**Rating : T for theme only**

**Genre : Fantasy/Humour**

**Warnings : Quirky. Yaoi, barely.**

**Pairing :** **Koyu/Shuei**

**Notes : Written in response to LJ Saiun_Challenge prompt "Provocative".**

**PLEASE REVIEW. EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT A MEMBER, I APPRECIATE YOUR NOT-LOGGED-IN COMMENTS (MY RESPONSE WILL BE ON THE REVIEW PAGE IF I CAN'T SEND YOU A PM).**

* * *

Kuro frowned.  
"A petition?"  
He turned towards Koyu.  
"You disappoint me, Koyu. I did not think you were capable of such provocative behavior. And to ask Shurei to be your spokesman! Are you trying to bring shame to our clan?"

Koyu flushed, bit his lip, but said nothing.

Shurei looked at the couple before her. Shuei's body was wrapped around Koyu's, protectively. Koyu leaned into Shuei.

"But why me? My position is no different from anyone else in Saiunkoku Monogatari. What makes you think the producers will listen to me?"

"Shurei, you are the central character. If they will listen to anyone at all, it would be you. Please. Shurei, we are not trying to be provocative. We just want to stay in love."

"Let me get this straight. You are saying that Season 1 of the anime gave you the license to fall in love, but the script for Season 2 makes you out to be barely friends."

Koyu and Shuei nodded.

"Alright then, but it seems to me that the you two did a lot of things _way beyond_ the script of Season 1."

"We didn't do anything that was not implied by the script!"

Shurei frowned slightly.  
"Really, General Ran?"

Shuei flushed.  
"That is, if you read between the lines …"

"Ludicrous! And who gave you license to do that?"  
Kuro snorted derisively.  
"Between the lines? More like between the sheets!"

Shoka cleared his throat.  
"Kuro, will you make a special concession, and abstain from voting till the very end? This way you'll be able to hear ALL the arguments before making a decision. You are, of course, welcome to present your view."

Kuro stopped protesting. He couldn't directly oppose his eldest brother.

Shoka continued.  
"Shurei, why don't we take a look at the points that Koyu listed?"

Shurei picked up the scroll.  
"Evidence of Attraction (1):  
Shuei hung around the Archives for no apparent reason other than to tease Koyu."

Shurei looked at those gathered in the Archives.  
"Are we all in agreement on this?"

Nods all around, except for Kuro.  
AND Reishin, who was stuffing a dumpling into his mouth.

"Lord Reishin?"

Reishin flushed a deep crimson. He couldn't decide if he should spit out the dumpling or swallow it whole. He ended up choking on it.

Kijin answered for the coughing Reishin.  
"He's in agreement. He apologizes for eating. He could not get to eat earlier at the party as he was hiding among the bookcases."

Shurei made a notation on the scroll.  
"Evidence of Attraction (2):  
Shuei rough-housed with Seiran and Ryuki, but was never seen touching Koyu, even though he teases Koyu mercilessly. Self-consciousness is a sure sign of physical attraction."

"I totally agree with that!"  
Seiran volunteered.

"Me too!"  
Ryuki, who was not at the party earlier, and who had come over especially for this meeting, gave his support.

"Evidence of Commitment:  
Episode 7, scene: after Korin's attempted suicide.  
Shuei's pledge of commitment is ambiguous. Friendship, or more?  
Shuei' entire demeanor suggests a lot more than just friendship."

Reishin's gaze drifted to Shuei and Koyu. Unconsciously, they had adopted the exact same pose as in the scene read out by Shurei. Koyu's forehead was on Shuei's shoulder, and his tears were falling to the floor.  
_Damn those producers! How could they do this to Koyu?  
To totally ignore what transpired in Season 1, to have Shuei mooning over Shusui in Season 2! Preposterous!  
_Reishin picked up his copy of the Season 2 script, and attempted to shred it.

Kijin reached across the table and placed a hand gently on Reishin's.  
"Reishin."  
With a tilt of his head, Kijin brought Reishin's attention back to Shurei.

"… each mention of Shuei's brothel visit reflects a different stage in Shuei and Koyu's relationship, as seen in Shuei's different responses.

(1) Episode 1 – 'Shall I bring you along?'  
They were nothing more than friends.  
(2) Episode 12 – 'I told you, its part of my work.'  
Shuei would have no need to explain himself if they weren't already a couple.  
(3) Episode 14 – 'Don't be jealous, Koyu, I am a young and energetic man.'  
Shuei rationalizes away his infidelity to Koyu."

Shurei looked up from reading the scroll.  
"Master Koyu, this is confusing. What is your point here?"

"I meant that if anyone paid attention to the differences in Shuei's responses, it would be obvious that Shuei and I became involved in a sexual relationship."

Shuei continued.  
"The dialogue clearly implied that we had sex. And not just casual sex, but a committed relationship. Otherwise Koyu would have no cause to be jealous when I visited the brothel."

"Shuei and I went through a lot of soul-searching and adjustments to be where we are now."  
Koyu took a deep breath.  
"We were horrified by the Season 2 script. Shuei is supposed to be in love with Shusui – where does that leave me?"

"I agree."  
Everyone turned to look at Shoka.  
"Koyu is left stranded. He's not Shuei's lover, not even Shuei's close friend. The script has Shuei agonizing over his friendship and loyalty to His Highness. Koyu doesn't even feature at all. Shuei and Koyu appear to be nothing more than colleagues."

"Brother Shoka is absolutely right! The only representation of Koyu's friendship is in that idiotic three-dumpling-on-a-stick reference. Koyu's the second, or maybe third, dumpling, I can't even remember which! What happened to the closeness between Koyu and Shuei that was so evident in Season 1?"

A small movement caught Kijin's eye. Reishin was running his thumb repeatedly across the semi-open slats of the fan he held in his hand. Kijin knew that action well. Reishin was trying to pin down an elusive thought.

The fan snapped shut.  
_Ah. He's captured the thought._

Reishin's eyes slid to Kijin. Kijin nodded, and called the room to order.

"Koyu, I've got something to add. Episode 11, visit to the feverish Shurei in winter. My line of dialogue, addressed to Koyu –

'On the other hand, you seem to be going around quite a bit without my knowledge, haven't you, Koyu? I'll deal with you later'.

My interpretation was that Koyu hadn't been coming home nights, that he was spending nights in the Ran Manor."  
Reishin paused.  
"Would that line of dialogue count as evidence that Koyu was MEANT to have moved in with Shuei?"

Reishin looked around at those who were present in that scene. Shoka nodded, so did Seiran, Kijin and Shurei. Koyu and Shuei looked awe-struck.

Shurei jumped up from her seat.  
"Master Koyu! Do you remember our discussion on that bit of dialogue regarding your place of residence in Episode 15?"  
Shurei, who had the foresight to arm herself with the script for Season 1, leaved through the papers excitedly.  
"Here it is! The dialogue goes thus:

Koyu: I've made this dimsum at home.  
Shurei: Master Koyu's home? Uh, I remember, you're supposed to be staying at someone's manor, am I right?  
Koyu: Uh, um, yes, well, I stay with the family that who took me in and provided for me since I was a little child."

Shurei could barely contain her excitement.  
"I was stumped as to why I was supposed to be pondering on your place of residence (with Lord Reishin), when that was thirteen-year-old news. And you explained YOUR take on that."

"Yes, I remember! My take was that you had heard, on the grapevine, that I had recently moved in with someone. You were trying to recall WHO that someone was. As I had just moved out of the Ran Manor at that point, I didn't want you to make the connection to Shuei. So I stopped you by saying the obvious, that I was staying with the people who took me in since I was a child."

Koyu looked at Shurei with sparkling eyes.  
"Thank you, Shurei, that was brilliant."

Shurei smiled, and added this bit of evidence to the scroll.

"And Shurei, don't forget to add in Lord Reishin's line of dialogue in Episode 11."  
Koyu turned towards Reishin and said warmly,  
"Thank you, Lord Reishin."

Reishin inclined his head in cool acknowledgement. But he couldn't stop his cheeks from flushing with pleasure.

Behind the mask, Kijin smiled. This was his Reishin. Kijin shuddered. What if it had been THEIR love that was threatened by a schizophrenic script? Kijin observed Shoka quietly herding Kuro to where Shurei was. He saw Kuro say something to Shurei, followed by Shurei's brilliant smile.  
_Was that big-brotherly coercion?  
_Kijin decided that he didn't care. He was totally behind Koyu and Shuei's petition to have the producers re-write the script for Season 2.

* * *

Shuei undressed Koyu in silence. He fumbled with the fastening of Koyu's pants, unable to see through his tears. This was to be their last night as lovers. Season 2 starts the next day. Sometime before the next morning, Shuei would lose all memory of their time together as lovers. The producers didn't allow Shuei to retain his memories for fear that he wouldn't be able to carry through Season 2.

Koyu took Shuei's face in his hands and kissed him gently.  
"It's alright, Shuei, I will remember, for both of us."  
Koyu had fought for, and been allowed to, keep his memories because Koyu's character had very little screen-time in Season 2.

"Are you sure you want that, Koyu? You will be suffering alone. I will be … a different person."  
Shuei started sobbing.

"Hush, Shuei. We promised that tonight will be perfect, remember?"

Koyu wiped the tears off Shuei's cheeks, and kissed him again, this time passionately.

* * *

Koyu sat at his desk, feeling nauseous. He would be meeting the Season 2 Shuei at Ryuki's office in fifteen minutes.

"Master Koyu."

Koyu looked up in surprise. He wasn't expecting Shoka.

"I will wait here with you for Shuei to arrive."

"KOYU !"

Shoka waited patiently for a pause in the kissing. Then he cleared his throat, loudly.

[Time lapse]

"… therefore, the only way for the two of you to stay in love is to get out of the Canon Universe. We are now in an Alternate Universe, that's why Shuei hasn't lost his memories."

Shuei and Koyu stared at Shoka. This was too much to process:-

Canon Universe vs Alternate Universe

Fanfiction writers

Shoka as the conduit for The Author

Koyu was the first to speak.  
"Lord Shoka, can you repeat The Author's apology?"

"The Author's intention was to write within the Canon Universe of Season 1. She took some liberties with what was NOT SAID, but conscientiously avoided contradicting anything that WAS said."  
Shoka paused.  
"When Season 2 was screened, The Author was aghast at having unwittingly created an Alternate Universe in which the two of you fell in love and became lovers. To stick to the Canon Universe would mean condemning your love story to oblivion. She couldn't do that to the two of you. The other option was to change tags, to become Alternate Universe. And that's where we are now. Do you have any questions for The Author?"

After a long silence, Koyu finally spoke.  
"Just one: Why did she saddle me with such a huge one?"

Shuei interrupted nervously.  
"Never mind that, Koyu, it's a small thing."

"It's NOT a small thing, that's the whole point!"

"I meant, it's a small thing to put up with, for being allowed to stay in love."

Koyu calmed down. His expression softened.

"Besides, Koyu, I rather like it just as it is."

Koyu laughed. He turned to Shoka.  
"Tell her Shuei's happy with it. And thank her for making us lovers."

**[The End]**

**Notes:**

**(1) Forgive me for the ego-trip in this fanfic! m( _ _ )m**

**(2) The "evidences" gathered by Koyu and the cast in this story are based on the original notes that I made when working out the story for my first fanfic, Twin Irises.**

**(3) IF anyone who reads this feels the same way that my sis and I do, please drop me a note?  
No, no, I'm not starting a petition or anything! ^_^  
I'm just curious to know if anyone else shares our frustration.**

**(4) Koyu's "huge one" is sort of an ongoing joke in Twin Irises and other companion fics. **


End file.
